Claims are circulating that Donald Trump has “lost control” of the conflict with Iran after Israel reportedly launched a major strike on a key gas site without US awareness.
Israel and the United States reportedly conducted a coordinated operation against Iran on February 28, with one strike said to have killed Iran’s supreme leader.
In the period since, the joint campaign has focused largely on Iran’s missile capabilities, military facilities, and locations tied to the country’s nuclear programme.
Iran has responded with retaliatory attacks, striking multiple Gulf states aligned with the US as well as targets in Israel.
Although Washington and Jerusalem have been operating in tandem, US officials have now suggested they were not informed about what is being described as Israel’s latest strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field — the largest gas field in the world.
The reported strike prompted Iran to ramp up attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf, including a hit on a Saudi refinery, fires at Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, and blazes at two Kuwaiti oil refineries. The new wave of strikes came as Iran sought to respond to what was described as an Israeli attack on its primary natural gas field.
The developments mark a significant escalation in the wider Middle East conflict, with global fuel prices reacting sharply.
Trump addressed the situation on Truth Social and maintained that Israel would not carry out further attacks of the same kind.
He wrote: “NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar – In which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before.”
In other remarks, the president said Israel had acted “out of anger”.
Following the latest reports, critics have argued Trump is no longer directing the course of a conflict he is accused of helping ignite.
After the White House reposted Trump’s message on X, Piers Morgan commented: “Trump is losing control of this war.”
Statement from President Trump on South Pars Gas Field: pic.twitter.com/YrjhDdGTxP
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 19, 2026
“Trump has fully lost control and his attempts to divert the public from this objective truth only makes him look worse,” echoed another.
A third person said: “Trump at perhaps the most dangerous of his presidency- simply, he looks like he’s lost control of events.”
US Representative Don Beyer added: “This is a man who doesn’t know what he has unleashed and is losing his grip.”
Others went further, calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked — a process that would allow the vice president and a majority of Cabinet members to declare the president unable to carry out the duties of the office.
They said: “He’s in so far over his head. He’s lost control. 25th amendment now. End the war. This is insane.”